Disappearing seat



Nov. 15, 1927.

R. C. MATTHEWS DISAPPEARING SEAT Filed Feb. 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl G. 5..

WITNESSES.

INVENTOR ffgy C.

Nd 2225mm.

Av-n NEY. j

Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,608

R. c. MATTHEWS DISAPPEARING SEAT Filed Feb. 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Shet 2 FIG.

ORNEY.

FIG. 5.

FIIGLS- IN VEN TOR. fig GJTcYHZZc ms. BY

WITNESSES v zfzfli teams UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

ROY C. MATTHEWS, 6F BUFFALO, NEYV YORK;

DISAPPEARING SEAT.

Application filed February The invention relates to collapsible seats which can be made to disappear into the floor and more particularly to interme diate seats in an automobile such as oft-he type which are conmionlly provided in addition to the front and rear seats, with some iorm of auxiliary seat or seats gene-rally mounted for swinging or folding movement in the body between the front and rear seats.

The object of the invention is to provldea new and improved collapsible seatwhich is arranged for convenient extension to support a person facing; forward and without interiering with the occupants oi? the rear seat, and which can be easily and compactly fold ed and made to disappearinto the floor of the car and flush wit-hit. husthe seat is entirely concealed without showing ev dengre of its presence except for a handle directly back of, and close to the front seat, for i .isinp; it and the space between'the iront and rear seats is entirely unencumbered by pro jections or enlargements for holding a iolding seat in the back of their nt seat as s now the most common practice.

Another object is to provide a (.llScLPPQtIT- i119; seat which does not the front seat. thereby making the bacl; of

the front seat thiclrer than would otherwise be necessary or taking; up needed space tor the cushion springs. u 7

Another object is to provide a disappearinc; seat which does not slide under the front seat, thereby raisingthe front seat or taking up needed space for the seat springs.

Another object is to provide a disappearinn seat which when in extended and normal position of use is lower than the back seat and vet tru'nishes adequate leg room for its occuiiiant the same as the back seat. This is accomplished by providing a receptacle or box with a floor below the car floor to hold the disappearing seat and using this same box for the feet of pearing seat. In this way the disappearing seat does not need to be raised as liar above the car floor as the rear seat to get the same leg room. 7

With these objects in view,

construct-ion, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects which will hereinafter appear are attained, the invention being more particularly pointed out in the claims.

' In the drawings accompanying and formfold into the backot the occupant ot the disapthe invention consists in certain features or novelty m the s, 1924. Serialllo. 693,416.

ing a part of this specification and in which like symbols refer to the same or similar parts in the different views, Figure 1,.is a side elevation of my improved disappearing seat, unfolded and in normal positionctor occupancyand showing: in dotted outline and with suitable arrows the various steps in folding and sliding the parts of the seat toget-her to cause them to nest intoits container or box beneath theautomobile floor 7 between the front and rear seats. Fig. 2, is atop view of the seat when openas in Fig. 1 and its container. Fig. 3, is a rear elevation of the seat when open as in'Figs. l and 2 and its container. Fig. 4, is a top view of the seat when nested into itscontainer and without a covering of carpet as SllOWIlClOtted in Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a side sectional clevation oi the container on line 5-5 or Fig.

a and without the seat except for a dotted portion o1 the leg showing its position when folded. F ig. 6 is a sectional elevation or" one sideot the seat frame on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.. Fig. 7, is an endview of the seat frame shown in Fig. 6 and seen from the position 7-7 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8, is a top view of one of the castings for supporting theseatleg and which is fastened into the container. Fig. 9, is a side sectional elevation of the casting shown in Fig. 8 and sectioned on the line 99 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10. is a rear end elevation of the casting shown in Fig. 9 and showing a dotted section on line 10-1O of Fig. 9.

. 11 and 12 are top and side elevations of the pivot screw connecting the seat to the upper part of its sup 'iorting In the figures, 1 the container or box built into the l'loorol the car and having; its topedges flush with the top of the car 'lioor 20. 2 is the floor in the bottom of the container 1. 1T 17 are two members (shown in detail in Figs. 8, 9 and 10) which are faslr i'oned to fit into the box 1 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 for supporting legs or standards 3, 3 on the pivots 19, 19 in a normally upright position when in use and legs 3, 3 in turn support theseat 6 in a normally horizontal position. a, 4 are side rails of the seat 6, an end view or cross section 01 which shows them to be formed in the shape of an L (Figs. 6 and 7 and the lower flanges of which 5, 5 support the bottom member 7 of the seat 6. Each side rail l, l has a slot 14-. to fit the pivot screw 11 on its diameter 34 (Fig. 12). l2 andl3 are upper and lower by means of screws 27,

.3 to its shoulder the. pivot screw guides the side rail 1 in its 40 dotted leg is the folded movement slightly beyond the vertical by the stops 39, 39.

, Figs. 8,29 and 10 show one of the two members 17 in detail. They are identical in shape except they are made rightand left i as shown in Fig. 2, and having stops E25, 25 facing each other. These stops 25, 25 supportthe legs 3 nnukedZ-i when these-at is folded and in the box 1 (Fig. 1). The surfaces 18 and 37 of ineinber 17 'lornrstops for thelegs or standardsS, 3 when in an upright position as shown in Fig. 1, and engage the front andrearrespectively of the legs 3 below and above the pivot 19 to brace the legs against the rearward acting force caused by the weight of fan occupant 1n the seat 6; 17 lswfastenedto the hon" 1 27,.97,etc.38, 38 are parallel Vertical; sides of the member 17 through which thewpivot holes 19, 19 are formed for the pivot 19 and between which the legs 3, 3 move in being raised or lowered in the slot 36.

In Figs. G and 7 are shownthe details ofthe side rails l of the scat 6 with the flange 5 and stops12 and l-lfor the-lop; Also the pivot screw 11 with itsbearing surfaced-l4 in the slot 14 of the side rail 1. The pivot screw 11 is screwed into the leg 35 and the head 33 of movements. 26. 26 are recesses in seat 6 to clear the head 33 of the screw 11, (Figs. 2 and i i 31 and 32 in Figs. 4 and 5 tion and a filling; piece in the portingthe members 17, 17.

shows a partihox 1 for sup- Also in Fig. 5, position of leg 3 when supported on the stop 25.

Referring again to F 1, 23 is the side of an automobile body, 22 is the back seat and 241 thefront seat. Between the seats 22 and and in"the floor 20 is placed the box 1. for holding my improved disappearin; seat. 21 represents the frame of the car. The different positions of the parts of the seat when folded are shown in dotted lines with the pivoting motions indicated by arrows on the arcs of circles as 29, 28 and 30. The different positions of the back 8 in folding are indicated by 8,'8",8 and 8?.

Those of the side rail 4 are shown as 4;, 1"" and 4 16 IS a piece ofcarpet, corresponding to the 'Theseatleg 3 when folded is at 3.

carpet usedon the car floor 20 andffastened to the bottom of the seatG; lVhen the seat is folded into place the carpet 16 takes the ing the position 8. pet niakinga continuouspiecc on thellloor of the car and 15 the only llllllt'ilhlml of an 27, etc. in the holes position 16 and fits the floor carpet n'laking a continuous piece therewith. 15 is a strap handle fastened to the bottom of seat 3 and showsa loop at 15 .when the seat is folded and for raising it when wanted for use.

The operation of the seat is as follows: Assuming the seat to he in its open and operatively normal position it made to dis appear by folding the hack 8 on its pivots 10, 10 describing the are 21) to the dotted position 8. The seat 6 and hack 8 are then raised onthe pivot-s 11, 1.1 describing the are 28 to the dotted position -eand 3*. The

seat then pushed down from 1":to 4-." (l.

n'lovinp; to U") tclcscopingliynlcaus of the slots 1+1, 14 sliding down over the pivots ll, 11 while the stops 12, 12 and 13, .13 form guides on opposite sides of the legs 3, 3. The seat and lcgsare then folded the ho): 1 on the pivots ill), 19 by 4;" describing the are 30. The lens 3, 3 LiOllldll) rest at 3 on the stops 2n and 8"- assumlll". then shows the can a u nili ary seat.

down into F ll fill

The operation of raising and opening the seat for use is then in irwerse order to thartseat as wet do of closing and storing; the scribed. Itwill thus beseen that in my improved disappearing seat it is collapsed 'andstored entirely out of the was in the car without interfering with the springra cushions or back of the front seat or the space in front of the back seat and also allows of the seat being lower than would otlierwlse he the case when in. use, as the ocoli mntuses the bottom of the ho 1 for fool: room. This auxiliary seat can then be asnnnfh lower than the back seat as the llfJl'lTUlll. of

box 1 is lower than the floor of the car and the seat legs therefore shorter and sturdier than would otherwise he the case.

It will also he miderstoml that the scat fl an be arranged to occupy anyconwniiont position in reference to the front seat when open for occu 'iancy by placing the pivots 1.1, 11, stops 12 and 13 and slot l lso as to locate the scat forward or back of the position shown as desired.

Havingthus described my invention what a I claim is:

1. A disappearing seat, comprising a standard part normally in an upright position and. pivoted at its lower end for motion and support and adaptedto he raised from a horizontal position to saidnorinal positioin a pivot on the upper end of said standard part a seat part pivoted atgthe top of said standard part and normally extending horizontally rearward .thercfron'l and adapted to be moved in anuprightldirection in line with said. standard part, stops ,on said seat part adapted to engage with opposite sides of saidst-andardqiarta toyeuide Y ed to be unfolded from a horizontal to said seat part in line with said standard part when said seat part is moved in an upright direction, said seat part adapted to be rotated on said pivot at the end of its upright movement where it is supported, independent of said pivot, in its normal horizontal position by means of said stops, and back pivoted to the rear of said seat part normally in an upright position and adaptsaid upright position.

2. In combination, in a disappearing seat, a seat part, seat supporting legspivotally connected to the forward part of said seat part, and means for holding the seat partand legs in a fixed relationship with the seat part substantially horizontal, comprising said pivot carriedby said legs and a pair of stops carried by said seat part and adjacent said pivot to engage said legs, said stops engaging the front of said legs above said pivot and the rear of said legs below said pivot, whereby the weight on said seat is entirely carried by said stops.

3. In combination, in a disappearing seat, a seat part, seat supporting legs pivotally connected to the forward part of said seat part, means for holding the seat part and legs in a fixed relationship with the seat part substantially horizontal and at right angles to the legs, comprising a pivot carried by said legs and a pair of stops carried by said seat part adjacent to and on opposite sides of said pivot to engagesaid legs, and means in said seat part cooperating with said pivot, whereby said seat part may be folded on said pivot to a position in line with said legs and telescoped therewith, said means including stops to limit the movement of said seat to a position in line withsaid legs and also forming guides for the seat in telescoping with said legs, and slots to encompass said pivots and limit the movement of said telescoping movement.

4. A disappearing seat for vehicles, comprising a container mounted in and extending below the floor of said vehicle, a member on each side of said container, a seat base, a pair of seat supporting legs pivotally connected to said side members in said container and to said seat base, means for supportingsaid legs in an upright position, said means consisting of a pivoton each leg and two stops on each of said members and adjacent said pivot, one above and one below said pivot and spaced laterally from each other the width of said leg, whereby the horizontal thrust occasioned by a weight on said seat is entirely carried by said stops, means for supporting said seat base in a horizontal position, said means consisting of a pivot on each leg and two stops on said seat base adjacent said pivot, one forward of and one to the rear of said pivot and spaced laterally from each other the width of said leg, whereby the pressure occasioned by a weight on said seat is entirely carried by said stops, and means on said seat base including said seat base stops cooperating with said legs, whereby said seat base may be folded in line with said legs totelescope therewith and thereby be nested with said legs into said container.

5. In combinaton, a vehicle body provided with a seat storage container open at the top and mounted in a suitable aperture in the body floor, members on each side of said container, each member having a pivot and a slot to the rear of said container opening, standard parts pivoted at theirlower ends to said side member pivots and operative in said slots, said side members having two stops spaced adjacent said pivot to hold said standard parts normally in an upright position, stops on said side members for supporting said standard parts when nested into said container, a seat part pivoted to said standard parts, stops on said seat part coacting on each side of said standard parts to support said seat part when normally in a iorizontal position, a back pivoted to said seat part and normally in an upright position, and means to fold said back, ard parts on said pivots and nest them into said container, whereby the bottom of said seat part closes the opening of said container only forward of said pivots in said side member slots,

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afliX my signature.

ROY G. MATTHEWS.

seat and stand-i 

